Volume One, Chapter 16: Rib Fracture

Lu Cheng’s good looks had nothing in common with those delicate, fair-skinned pretty boys. Though his features were undeniably refined, the aura he exuded was pure rugged masculinity. Even the way he spoke was gruff and unyielding, yet somehow, beneath that hardness, there was an unmistakable note of grievance, as if he were complaining.

Jiang Ning shuddered with goosebumps all over, stunned by the way he’d just called her “wife.” Among the onlookers, there were quite a few familiar neighbors. Now she’d been put on the spot—if she responded, it was awkward; if she didn’t, it was just as bad.

She had no classes that afternoon and had taken leave to come back and keep an eye on things, worried Lu Cheng might mess something up. She hadn’t expected to walk straight into this scene.

Fortunately, her nerves were solid. She quickly weighed the pros and cons and reacted without the slightest hint of unease on her face. Slipping her left arm around Lu Cheng’s waist, she raised her right hand to his split, bleeding lip, her look so genuinely distressed that it could have fooled anyone.

Then she turned to Du Chenghong, and the tenderness in her eyes flipped instantly to fury. This time, the anger was real.

“Just you wait,” she said, pulling out her phone to call the police without hesitation.

The local officers arrived swiftly—it just so happened to be the same policeman who’d handled the case of the adult store being smashed up the previous night. Cases like this weren’t complicated. The police pulled the surveillance footage from the entrance of the complex, and the sequence of events was perfectly clear: Du Chenghong had thrown the first punch, Lu Cheng had dodged, and only fought back after being attacked.

Though Lu Cheng did seem to have provoked him, the officers, now aware after last night’s incident that he really did own an adult store and that the so-called “miracle oil” fell within his business scope, could easily accept that he was only discussing business. Even if he had provoked Du Chenghong, it didn’t justify the latter’s violence.

From a moral standpoint, Lu Cheng’s actions could be considered self-defense, though perhaps excessive in force; legally, however, since both men had thrown punches, it was classified as mutual assault.

In the mediation room, Du Chenghong kept groaning and demanding to go to the hospital for an injury assessment, while Lu Cheng commented dryly, “No wonder you need the extra-strength miracle oil.” He put particular emphasis on the words “extra-strength,” deliberately blurring the line between physical fitness and other matters.

Du Chenghong, for his part, took the bait. Glancing at Jiang Ning, who sat beside Lu Cheng, he winced but said no more, and in the end, didn’t go for the medical evaluation.

The police delivered a stern lecture to both, especially targeting Du Chenghong. As for Lu Cheng, they cautioned him to mind the degree of force in his future self-defense.

Look at the state he was in after that beating—tsk.

After leaving the station, Du Chenghong headed straight to the hospital. An X-ray revealed two ribs were hairline fractured. No wonder it hurt to breathe!

He called Jiang Zhaoyuan, who didn’t answer, then called Cao Huixian and launched straight in: “Your son-in-law assaulted me!” Cao Huixian was in the middle of a mahjong game. Hearing the story, she pushed aside her winning tiles, soothed him as if he were a god, and hung up, grabbing bags of things as she rushed to the hospital—only to find Du Chenghong had already gone home and didn’t need to be admitted.

Fuming but unable to vent at Du Chenghong, she turned her wrath on Jiang Ning, heading straight to the Garden Community to demand an explanation.

As the driver parked outside, Jiang Ning was inside tending to Lu Cheng’s wounds. Perhaps it was all those years spent with children, but after applying the ointment, she instinctively leaned in and blew gently on the spot.

Her breath was warm and fragrant, soft and sweet. Their eyes met, and the temperature in the room seemed to rise—suddenly, even the air felt sticky and charged.

Jiang Ning’s first instinct was to escape that odd, electrifying moment, but as she stood up, Lu Cheng caught her wrist and tugged her back.

His voice was low and rough. “That Du guy still has his eyes on you, said something out of line, too.”

A simple explanation for why he’d fought in public.

Jiang Ning dropped her gaze and just said, “Oh.”

Lu Cheng took her hand and pressed it to his injured mouth. “I stepped up for you—don’t you think you owe me something?”

His eyes were naked, burning with intensity. Jiang Ning glared back, deliberately twisting his words. “Didn’t you already get your compensation?”

Lu Cheng, not letting go, pulled her hand to his lips and stared into her eyes. “I’m not talking about that... You’ve seen my check-up report, haven’t you?”

And with that, he nipped her palm lightly with his teeth.

Jiang Ning’s breath caught—the strange sensation spread from her hand through her whole body, leaving her tingling and weak.

Lu Cheng’s gaze dropped to her soft, pink lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He leaned in.

Quick as a flash, Jiang Ning grabbed a cotton swab and pressed it hard against the cut on his mouth.

“Hiss!”

The pain snapped him out of it, the charged atmosphere broken. Lu Cheng shot away, slumping on the sofa, gasping.

Jiang Ning packed up the alcohol swabs and bandages, standing tall, looking down at him like a queen surveying a rebellious subject, unable to hide the smile in her eyes. “You’ve already been beaten once, and you’re still not behaving. Want another round?”

Lu Cheng, still clutching his mouth, grumbled, “I bare my heart to the moon—”

He got no further. The front door reverberated with pounding fists.

Cao Huixian’s voice rang out from the hallway: “Jiang Ning! Get out here right now!”

She’d heard Lu Cheng’s voice through the door and was now banging and yelling, each word more venomous than the last.

Jiang Ning had already expected her visit. Calmly, she put away the medical kit and went to open the door.

She blocked the doorway as soon as it opened, determined not to let Cao Huixian in.

After brooding all the way over, Cao Huixian was ready to lash out the moment she saw her. Her hand shot up for a slap, her well-maintained face twisted in rage, the image of a refined lady utterly gone.

But Jiang Ning wasn’t about to just stand there and take it. She grabbed Cao Huixian’s arm with both hands and shoved, sending her stumbling back.

Jiang Ning jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “If you have something to say, spit it out. I’ve got company inside. If you’re here to pick a fight, you’d better bring backup—wouldn’t want people saying the two of us bullied a senior citizen.”

The words hit home; Cao Huixian’s face darkened to the color of pitch.

At fifty-four, her age was awkward—she wasn’t exactly old, but far from young. Beauty faded, youth slipped away, but the desire to look good never did. She spent millions each year on maintenance and loathed being called old more than anything. Once, a middle schooler called her “granny” in the street; she responded by posting beautified selfies to her social media for three days straight, implying the kid had bad eyesight and no manners.

Just as she was about to explode, Lu Cheng poked his head over the back of the sofa and called out, “You’re here. Want me to bring a chair out for you?”

Polite, but only just.

Cao Huixian’s face was thunderous. She ignored Lu Cheng and jabbed a finger at Jiang Ning, unleashing a torrent of abuse.

“You think you’re so tough, even daring to lay hands on me? Go on, let’s see if you can finish me off right here today. Let’s see what good that gets you. All those years raising you were wasted—feeding you for nothing. Should’ve raised a dog instead; at least a dog knows to wag its tail for me, not bare its teeth. All those books you read, might as well have stuffed them down a dog’s stomach!”

No matter how Cao Huixian cursed, Jiang Ning’s expression remained cool and detached.

For a fleeting moment, Jiang Ning wished Lu Cheng’s little rascal were here—just so Cao Huixian could see that dogs didn’t just wag their tails and bare their teeth; they could bite, and it hurt like hell.